| General Regulation on Detention Facilities (Decreto-Lei n.º 51/2011, que aprova o Regulamento Geral dos Estabelecimentos Prisionais) | Detainees have the right to claim, petition, complain and expose. Therefore, in order to defend their rights, detainees have the right to present, in writing, individually or collectively, complaints, petitions, claims, and expositions relating
to the execution of the measures depriving them of their liberty. For that purpose, every institution must have a closed box, placed in an accessible area that guarantees privacy, where detainees may deposit their complaints and petitions. After this procedure the Director may: have recourse to mediation, in order to reach a consensual solution; pronounce on the claims, petitions, complaints, and expositions, within a maximum of 30 days; send them immediately to the competent entities or organisations (depending on the subject of the complaint the competent entity or organisation
regarding that subject is contacted), and inform the detainee. The detainee may also contact the Director-General, Audit and Inspection Service, General Inspectorate of Justice Services and the Ombudsman. |